Tray and tray stack



Nov. 23, 1943 J. R. rem-1s TRAYS AND TRAY STACK Filed Feb. 4. 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Nov. 23, 1943.

J. R. JONES TRAYS AND TRAY STACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Feb. 4, 1943 ATTORNEYS V Patented Nov. 23, 1943 l I v i; v .v 3

V i Tear s TAoK' I I Jam resfJr nies, Lakewood, N-Yv assignor toArt A V 7 Metal N.

"Construction Company, Jamestown,

stacks of that kind in which two for more :letter,

vtrays or shallow'receptacles [are adapted. to be st lfikfld or: arranged one aboveianotheiissoyas to I enable letters or the like to berretained neatly in oved from the trays. I

One object' of the iinvent'bn is "provide a practical desirable and convenient tray and :tray taol; which are of novel improved construction.

Other objects of the inventiona're'to'providea letter or sheet tray and tray stack Which-are composed of the minimum number of parts, are

r"; exceedingly simple construction and economieal to make; to :provide a tray, two or more of which can bestacked and, securely retained in stacked'relation one aboveanother without the necessity for any extra parts, i. e;, parts other than portions of thetrays themselves forrsecur ing; them in? staclged relation; to produce a tray'n which has integral securing parts at zitsaupper and lowerportions of such construction that the v. securing parts at the lower portion of .0136 tray are. adapted to cooperate with the'Ysecuring. parts;

at the upper portion of a similar tray for securingthetrays together instacked order; in which .the individual tray consists of :a singlepieceof sheet material termed 130. provide a bottomvand side walls, and 1 also formed to provide isecuring parts at the tray bottom and :at 12336170138 of the sidewalls-of aform adapting the bottom securing parts of the tray to cooperate with the top ser n par s o n t r like tr y t be eng ed "or-interlocked for holding the trays in stacked Y r l i so relation. m. o v

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the iollowingispecification :Qi her e er rl embod en orwthe invention,

.trays arranged or stacked and releasably-secure d in placeone; upon another. Each=tray of the sta'ckhasa bottom iilahd side Wallsrll extending i 1 upwardly from oppositesides of the bottom, and

different gronpsand to' be readily placedyin and er l 7- llO the opposite endsof the bottom 15 D,-that is, those ends Whiohtextend at right angles to :the'side Malls H, are'shown ascurved or' bent upwardly to provide raised end curbs 01. portions 12. which function to/confine letters or sheets in the tray between, the, side walls and-prevent unintentional escape ,otthe sheets endwise from theatray. These 'oppositeend portions of -the:tray bottom are notched to provide Open-ended gapsor openings-l3 inthe bottomand end curbsof the tray thatafford'hand holes whichfacilitate the placing ofthe. sheets in the tray andralso adapt'the sheets to b re d lysrasred foriremoving them Q from the tray. 1

Preferably, the side-wa1ls1are of the 'shape shown, having deep central zones or portions and tapering downwardly from the opposite ends of-the tops of said central zones'M toward the opposite ends oi-the tray, and terminating'subyy-stantially at the line of juncture of the upward.-

"1y curved endycurbs [2 of the tray with the fiat bottom thereof; Preferably, also, the trayrcomprising 'thebottom andside walls as described; is

made iroma single'piece of sheet metal orother suitable sheet material I bent or formed into the shape shown, andthe sheet from which the-tray "is formed, embossed to provide strengthening shown the ccemnanr nsd awings, and the h ee endedcla m sa d, drawin s:-

la 1 i a er rectiv "at n .a red ee d cale, of a letter trey stack, embod n m in t on;

= E ia 2 s a tran e s s e ena a on t e eof, on the plane of line 22, Fig.1. g I

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional plan of one i of the trays on line l4, Fig. 3. 7 7

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail transverse section illustrating the manner of engaging the securing flanges of one tray with the hooks of another tray for fastening the trays together in a stack.

The tray stack comprises two or more similar .evel :fe u s'o the in n -ion er setvforth in 40 and at the tops of ance of the traystack or stiffening ribs l5 whichextend transversely across the bottom and upwardly across the side walls H in-the neighborhood of the aendsof the deep central zones [4 of the side walls; Ihese ribs, in addition to stif ening the bottom-and side walls land preventingthe same from. bucklingror --loending out of the intended flat form are-also alined Vertically one "abovethe other -in -wthe stacked trays andtenhance the attractive ap fiar- Each trayis provided members or'parts constructed so that the. securing parts at the bottom of one. tray are adapted toehgage, interlock or cooperate-with the secure a ing members at the top of the side walls of another like tray, in a manner to secure and firmly retain the trays in stacked relation one upon another.

it bent or extending inwardly along the top of the central zone of each side wall, andtongues or hooks ll punched or struck out downwardly .from the bottom of the tray adjacent to each side atits lower side portions its side walls v with securing V Preferably these securing members comprise a horizontal'top flange or tongue.

tached at their inner ends to the .traybottom I extend laterally outwardor toward the side edges in effect,.sockets to receive the e tongues. V v

, each tray is provided with two hooksv ll near e ach, sidethereof to receive the top flange at'the cor 7 other so that some force is engage the securing members,

properly-center or aline the trays vertically with each other in the-stackedarrangement and'preventthem from shifting out superposed, alined arrangement.-

directed tongues and bottom portions wall. fThe bottom hooks or tongues i1 are atand of the tray, being 'ofiset downwardly below the lower face of the bottom a distance just slightly greater than the'thickness of the top flanges 16 ofthe tray. Thus, the trays can be stacked one" upon anothersand secured together by engaging theside wall top flanges is of one tray between the tongues l1 and the bottom face of a super posed tray, the bottom tongues or hooks forming, 4,

In ,the preferred construction" shown,

responding side of the underlying'tray, and each hookis formed with a' downwardly protruding shallow blister or' embossed projection l8 forming a cavity in the upper side ofthe hookwhich is adapted to receive a" similar shallow blister or projectioml9 on the cooperating top flange It.

In securing the parts I together; the topside flanges l6 onone tray areinserted into place between the books .11 and the underside of the bottom of then'ext tray'abovaand'the blisters or projections-I1 Son the flanges willsnap-int'o or top flanges or resistdisengagement of said tongues from said sockets, I

3. In' a tray stack comprising a plurality of like trays disposed one above another and each having a bottom and side walls, the improved I stacked relation.

seat in the cavities of the blisters ontthe hooks.

This nestingior interfitting" of the blisters on u the fianges'and hooks notonly functionsto re-- ,tain: the securing members of -adjacent trays firmly in interlocking engagement with each necessary to disbut also serves to oftheir' intended,

" sides of the tray, said top flanges being arranged I I V tointerengageiwith'thebottom securing tongues of =another like tray to secure said trays" in When the trays are, thus superposedand in- -terlocked with each other, the-bottom' 'of' each tray serves to connect and brace orhold in position the upper portions of the side Wallsof the next vunderlying tray, thereby producing a firm,

rigidstack; Thus, two or more trays can-be stacked and securely retainedin stacked relation by cooperating integral portions of the trays themselves, so as to form a firmjsteady and de f sirable tray stackfwithout the necessity" of any extra or additional securing means or parts. Furthermore, as explained, each individual tray, with the'means for securing it with one or more other trays in astack} can;be1formed from a' single piece'of suitable sheet material, I I claim as my invention-z" 1 Ina tray stackcomprisinga'plurality of trays disposed one above another and each havsockets, and the tongues of one to'seat in the sockets ofthe-adjoining tray to 7 ing 'abottomand sidewalls, the improved con- 7 'structi'on ihflwhibh'top portions of the-sidewalls laterally of; each of each tray are formed: with integral 7 tray. are formed'with integral sockets adjacent I thejside walls, and the tongues of one tray are arranged to seat-inthe sockets-of the next tray above to securel- 'sa'id trays together in stacked relation. l I

V An improved tray stackconstructed according to claimi 1', in whichsaidton'guesa-nd sockets are formed with interseating'embossments which laterally directed 4. Atray for holding letter sheets or the like,: i which comprises a bottom and side walls rising from the bottom and having inwardly extending top flanges, said tray bottom having horizontal securing tongues'thereon adjacent the sides of thetray, and said top flanges being arranged to interengage with said. securing tongues of another like tray to secure said trays together in stacked relation.-

' 5 f" 5.= A tray for holding letter sheets ,or 'the like,

which consists oi-a singlepiece of sheet material formingbottom and side walls of the trayjsaid' sidewalls having inwardlyextending top fianges,

and said tray having horizontal securing tongues struckout from the bottom :thereof adjacent-the stacked relation. Y 7 6. A tray for holding sheets-or the'like, which sonsists of a single piece of 'sheet material form'- ing bottom-and side walls of the tray",- said side "walls havinginwardly extendingtop-flanges; and

said tray bottom having securing tongues struck out therefrom adiacentthe sidesof the tray,"said top flanges beingarranged to interengage with V the bottomsecuring tongues of another like my to secure the trays in stacked relation, andsaid :top-flanges and bottom tongues havingembossed projections, the projections of said top flanges being vertically alined with said bottorntongues; i- 1 i V I 7..'In a tray stack comprising a plurality'o'f trays disposed one above another and each"havingia bottom and side walls, the improved con- 7 the I projections of struction in which top portions of the side walls and bottom portions-of the tray adjacent its side walls are formed, the one'with integral laterally directed tongues and the other with integral detachably secure said trays together ins-tacked relation.

8. In a letter or thelike tray having abottom s and: side walls rising therefrom, the improved construction in which the top'portions of the side wallsand the bottom-portion of the tray'adjacent its sidewalls are formed, the one with integral tongues and the other-with in-' tegralso'ckets, and the tongues of said tray are 1 arranged'to seat in the sockets of a'n'othe'r like 1 tray to deta'chably secure said trays together in stacked relation.

1 JAMES R; JONES,

tray are arranged 

